Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-01-19
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

MADISON, Wis, Jan. 13.-The follow
ing is full text of the message deIiv-
cred by Gov. Rusk to the Legislature:
To THE HONORABLE THE LEGISLATURE: You
are again assembled after lapse of two years of
general prosperity vouchsafed the people of the
state by benign and gracious providence and
congratulate you upon the many hopeful signs
of continuation for the future. New c1ecov-
cries have been made and new fields of industry
and employment are being opened, and the pros
poets that the resources of the state will be
greatly developed during the coming year are
ulating you upon our material progress, it is
with deep regret that am compelled to report
that during the past year the peace of our
state has, In few instances, been In
terrupted by strikes aud riots of great
er magnitude, of more violence and
farther reaching in their consequences than ever
before. In this connection, you are reminded
that 1t will be your duty, as legislators to look
carefully into the causes OF these troubles and
wherein our laws for the prevention of wrong
doing, or the punishment of wrong doors, are
found to be defective, it will be your duty to per-
feet them by such new legislation as recent ex-
perience and reasonable anticipations for the fu-
ture may indicate to be required. While your
own intelligence, aided by your investigations
and discussions, will, / have no doubt lead you
to satisfactory solution of all the problems in
volved in this subject, yet may be INDUCED In
few suggestions, which, hope will not be found
either impertinent or unwarranted.
The discussion of thu labor ana capital ques
ton has become so extensive, has taken such
wide range and is being participated in by 30
many people, representing such a diversity Of
views and interests that it is not strange, if at
this stage of the discussion, there is more con-
fusion than clesrness of thought upon it. To
eliminate from all this confusion and contrO-
versy what is essential, concrete and practicable
and in accord with those principles OF justice up
on which all good governments founded, and en-
body it in effective law, is no light or trivial
task.
It Sc ems to me that very Important might
say, vital-fact in this great agitation has so far
hCnn m mGl q
majority of the people of every city and every
state where the labor troubles have existed, and
overwhelming majority of the whole people,
are not directly parties to the controversy at ALL
The contention is between employees and en-
ployers, and both classes combined are but
minority fraction of the whole people, whose
peace and interests interrupted and their
rights violated by these unseemly and unnecs-
sary disturbances. 1t is the right and duty of
the people-that is, of the great majotiy-to
step in and say not only "let have peace, but
1--WE will have peace" and through the law and
lawfully constituted authorities to see to it tn t
we do have peace, and that disturbers are
promptly and properly punished.
In a few communities. comparatively, there
are large bodies of workmen or laborers, who
voluntarily choose to work for others. for wages.
These by general usage, are called working
men," But they not the only workingmen-
not the only laborers In the country. The great
majority of our people are workers, with hands or
brain, or both. and to all such belongs equally the
proud title OF laborer. But farther majority OF
the whole number who do manual productive
labor, employ themselves, plan for themselves
work for themselves, and take the whole prOIuct
of their labor to themselves, and find market
for their surplus when and as they can. This
great independent, self-reliant majority is the
bone and sinew, the pride and glory of
good citizenship. Among them there are
no strikes or riots, no interference with the OPP
portunities, liberties and rights of others. That
their rights and their interests should be jeop-
ardiZed by the restless contentious of a small
minority who ridiculously assume that they are
the only laborers of the country, is wrong too
manifest to be much longer endured. If the
disturbances
not find way of amicably settling their dis
puts, they must bemade to submit to such legal
arbitration will at least protect the peace and
dignity of civilized commonwealth
In indicating that some additional legislation
may be required touching the rights of laborers
of all classes, and their mutual relations to each
other, only the most prominent fundamental
principles OF natural liberty and popular govern
meut need be alluded to.
1t has already been assumed that where per-
son employs himself and works on ais own prem
ises aud on his own material with his own
TOOLS the product of his labor is all his own, to
do with as he sees fit. That he must be
protected in the full enjoyment Of all
skin It does not REQUIRE to convnee
us. 1t is self evident. But where one person en-
cages to work for another, on another's premises
and material, and with anotheis tools or ma
chinery, it is equally clear that the product be-
longs to the employer; the workman's claim ends
with the receipt of his stipulated wages. The
states duty and province in such cases is simply
to maintain individual rights ana enforce the
fulhlIment of contracts Every ones right to
WORK nlnlSelf. or 1Or any one else. on SuCh
terms as he may choose to make must be main
tanned at all hazards. He who interteres with
this principle, tramples upon the most sacred of
human rights and upon 8 conSecrated principle
of American liberty.
Government should not be-inaeed, cannot af-
ford to be-indiferent to the welfare of any class
of citizens; and it is special duty 10 protect the
poor and weak against any possible expressions
ofthe rich and strong. To this end, all the rights
and interests of workingmen CT the wage classes
should be jealousy guarded against Injustice or
oppression at the hands of their Elm ployerS Cor
polations created by authority of the state that
in the nature of their business must be large en-
ployers of labor or that from the ure of their
business and their charges for service may large
ly affect the value of the product of labor gener-
ally to the producer, must be held to strict and
just accountability, and be subject always to the
control and regulation of the state.
With those agrarian and socialistic theories of
fsnciful society that deny the right of private
property, or OF each individual tn full protection
III the enjoyment and control of all his lawful
earnings, whether obtained by his own labor or
by contract, we can have no sympathy. They
are as Un-Amer1can as monarchy and as trea-
sonable as secession. They contemplate the de-
structiOn Of both justice and liberty and would
accomplish the destruction of both if their appi-
cation TO existing society were seriously at
tempted. We are not prepared as American
citizens, to even consider a change in our form
of government Republican institutions and
individual liberty go hand in hand, and must be
and will be Loyalty maintained.
FINANCES
The finances of the state are in q satisfactory
condition. No tax has been levied upon the
the expenses of the state government. In the
previous two years tax was levied and collected
from the several counties amounting to $685.
6443 tor state purposes. Notwithstanding the
large appropriations made by the last Legisla-
ture, amounting to about S6n0,000 all Of which
came out Of the general fund. there remained
balance in that fund. at the close of the
biennial period, September 80 1886 as shown by
the report OF the secretary of state, of
$485.6S9. These appropriations and the ex-
penses OF the state government were paid with
out levying tax upon the counties. The report
OF the secretary of state furnishes a detailed
statement of the receipts and disbursements of
the several fumes and the cost of maintaining the
ate government. Unless the Legislature shalt
make additional appropriations, above the
binary expenses Of the Legislative, judicial and
executive departments, necessity will exist
for providing for any tax levy tor the next two
years.
TRUST FUND
The productive school fund, on the 30th day of
september, 1896. amounted TO 80 97S, 11S Al, and
there to the credit of the fund in the treasury
that day, 327 29i .06. The school fund income of
the BIENNIAL period was 1886, CASE including the
one mill tax, amounting to SASS 81. 81, and was
eDpoItioned to the several counties upon the
number of children of school age
The productive university fund bearing inter
est. on the 30th day Of September lA-6. amounted
TO $3.50 ,99s-35. and the balance On hand to the